Page 9 of Pretty When She Breaks

There was the sound of a lighter flicking, then a drag of air.

“What are you gonna do about it?” Madison asked. “You’re going to let that slide?”

“I’m leaving it this time. Thaddeus already told me he’ll take care of it tomorrow.”

Madison hummed in response.

“Trust me. When she’s ours, she won’t get away with shit like that.”

“Why do you never pick the easy ones?” Dax mused. “You definitely have a type.”

They all started laughing.

Theirs?

No. I was too useful as a duchess. Father wouldn't mate me off anytime soon.Right?

The conversation turned to the fights for the night, on speculating who would win. I switched off the recording and reviewed the transcript, fixing any errors.

It was hard to focus with the disgust and anger coiling through me.

Prince sounded so sure they were going to claim me.

I did a bit of digging into their backgrounds to see what else I could find. Looks like Dax and Madison had started with nothing, clawing their way up until they ruled their own little empire in Boston.

If Dax still had higher ambitions, it would explain why he’d added Prince to his pack.

Packing up was the only way to get an in with our family. I doubted they would have given him a second thought otherwise. If Dax was a Doberman and Madison a pit bull terrier, then Prince was…hmm.

What’s a dog that’s smug, annoying, and you just want to punch in the face?

I petted Muppet while I pondered before remembering my grandma Edwina’s little terror. Yeah, Prince was a chihuahua. For sure.

With a sigh, I stood and headed for my bedroom. Muppet chirped and trotted after me as I completed my nighttime routine and crawled into bed.

I stared at the ceiling in the dark, unable to stop my thoughts from racing, circling back to their conversation about mating me. If that was even a possibility, it was bad news.

I’d have packed up Muppet and run years ago if it wasn’t for Julius.

I couldn’t leave without knowing what had happened to him.

Everyone was so sure he was dead, but Iknowwhat I saw that day five years ago. My father had done his best to convince everyone I’d had a mental breakdown, but I still believed that the body they’d buried wasnotJule.

I’d had to work hard to convince my father that I’d changed my mind, and I was terrified that if I dug too far too fast, he’d be quick to claim I was insane.

But I might be running out of time.

I calmed my nerves and sent a message to Soren Rosania’s assistant, requesting we move our meeting to this week.

Then, finally, I was able to fall asleep.

FOUR

OCEAN

I opened the door to our run-down apartment, the smell of bulgogi making my mouth water. Although, that meant Finch had been cooking.

That explained Finch’s frustration and Kaos’ panic spilling through our pack bond. I spotted Kaos sitting at the kitchen table, knees tucked under his chin and eyes wide as he stared down at the plate Finch had set in front of him. Finch was in the seat across from him, radiating tension.